How do you PRESERVE Velvet Antlers?

[Mathewsboy]

I got a road kill, and would like to preserve the velvet antlers... I was told soak them in DeNatured Alchohol..

Any ideas?

[One eye]

Formaldehyde. When I shot my mule deer buck in Colorado, he was in full velvet. I wnet their with a taxidermist friend, and he brought the formaldehyde. You simply brush it on liberally, with multiple applications. Mine was treated 10 years ago, in the field, and the mount looks awesome.

Dan

[john.c.]

Got a P&Y muley in'82 and injected formaldehyde into the velvet throughout esp the tips. Started to get some slippage about 5yrs ago...don't think the velvet can remain intact on a long term basis.

[One eye]

Mine was shot in 1992, and the mount looks just like it was done this year. Zero slippage. In addition to injection, did you brush on the formaldehyde on the exterior surfaces of the velvet?? I will have to touch bas with my taxidermy friend again.

Dan

[Canuck_2]

Mathewsboy, it depends a lot on the degree of development of the antlers. The people who have responded have had good luck with the formaldehyde treatment but they would have shot their animals when the antlers were basically fully grown and hardening (I presume). With the buck that you have recently acquired, the antlers would be far from fully developed and have a huge amount of soft tissue. I don't know whether there is a good way to guarantee preservation.

I have shot at 8 or 10 bucks in velvet during early archery season (Sept 1) and have preserved them very successfully by 'freeze drying' them; they each spent a year in my freezer before being allowed out. I have never had a slippage or even a hint of odor problem. One is a nice5x5 I shot in 1985 and it is still like the day I got it. But again, these are all deer whose antlers were fully developed but hadn't rubbed the velvet off.

[Rickmur]

Hope you don't mind I move this to the Taxidermy forum, you might get more response over there.

[Tree climber]

I have two sets that are over 15 years old.
I took formaldyed and liquid ear preserver and mixed themm 50% to 50% and started at the tips and injected it all the way to the base.as I injected it the blood started to come out around the base.when I started to get clear liquid I stopped.
Looks just like they did when I took them 15 and 16 years ago.

[M.Magis]

Canuck_2 made a very good point that should not be overlooked. The antlers right now are not nearly complete growing and are mostly soft tissue. There are many ways of preserving velvet antlers, but the only one that "might" work this time of year would be having them freeze dried by a professional. Forget the denatured alcohol and injection right now. A professional could tell you wether it would be worth the time and money this time of year. Before doing anything, I would suggest you find out if it's even legal to possess antlers from a road kill deer. In many states it is not.

[Angus74]

My best friend is an excellent taxidermist, and he has all of his velvet mounts freeze dried professionally, he says after time even if you use formaldehide, it will eventually crack or shrink, with the freeze dried velvet, itll last forever, and look like it did when you got it.